10 things you should know before studying textiles

So, you’ve decided to study textiles? Congratulations! You are about to discover how far you can take craft and the diverse opportunities your degree will offer you. But before you leave your life behind to basically live in the workshop for the next three to four years (yep, that’s the first truth) here are 10 things you need to know…

1. You need an insane amount of patience. Why? Because you’re going to spend much of the near and distant future untangling threads. And unwinding hanks. And untying knots.

2. Take a look at your lovely skin-coloured hands. Now say goodbye, because they’re going to be dye-stained for the duration of your studies (and perhaps beyond). Dyeing yarn blue? Hello blue hands! Attempting an ombre finish? Look – hands of an unnatural, unidentified colour! You get the picture.

3. Invest in a lint roller, because every single day you’re going to end up covered in fibres.

4. It’s basically like going to a girls’ boarding school. No, really – it’s quite unlikely there will be a single man on your course.

5. Your arms will become ridiculously toned – Madonna-level toned – thanks to working on heavy, clunky machines everyday. Which means you don’t need to buy a gym membership, which means more money for the yarn store. Yay!

6. You need maths. Like, really need maths. Why? For counting rows, counting stitches and mixing paints (to name just a few things).

7. The range of jobs you’ll be qualified to do at the end of your degree is dizzying. From apparel to automotive and everywhere in between, there are jobs for textiles graduates.

8. The difference between a weave and a knit.

9. You need to make best friends with the technicians. They are going to save your work – not to mention your sanity – on a daily basis until you graduate.